EDIBLE NEWS AND NOTABLES WINTER 2014-2015

In addition to Pleasant & Main’s opening last spring, in “the village that could,” Housatonic, in Great Barrington, Amy Hagerty of Baba Louie’s fame, has opened Housie Market Café. The market café opened in mid June 2014, offering breakfast and lunch seven days a week.

Sourcing as much as she can locally from farms and artisan purveyors, Amy offers a creative selection of unique sustenance. A local place for residents to get food close to home, the market in time will continue expanding its offerings of shelf items.

A community gathering spot, the school bus lets school kids off right in front of the store. What a great place for parent and child to share an afterschool snack.

District Kitchen & Bar on West Street, Pittsfield, in the former Brix restaurant space, opened this past September. Fashioned after Public Eat + Drink, North Adams (see page 34), also owned and operated by Jared Decoteau, this is his second venture in the Berkshires. We wish him continued success.

Daily Bread Bakery, with a retail store in Stockbridge and a department in Gorham & Norton, G.B., has unfortunately closed. Jim Younkowski, the owner and principal baker, has closed both due to his health. We in South County will surely miss his fresh daily bread and pastry treats and sincerely wish him the best.

According to Gorham & Norton, they will be filling their bakery spot with Our Daily Bread, from Chatham, NY. At press time we were told that they would be stocking a complete line of baked goods from their bakery in Chatham, which will include breads, cakes and pies, traditional wheat and gluten free. Expected to open by December 1, we’re sure they will help fill the void.

Gorham & Norton: 278 Main St., G.B.; 413-528-0900

Marvin, Judy Lieberman, Karen, Bob Climo

After over 18 years, proprietors Marvin and Judy Lieberman have sold The Great Barrington Bagel Company & Deli to Bob and Karen Climo—lox, stock and bagels.

Bob has worked tirelessly as the manager at the bagel store for the last eight years. The Climos will continue to run the business in the way that has made it a success. The Liebermans will remain working on a part-time basis as consultants, Marvin coming in occasionally to insult the complainers and Judy, with her warm gracious smile, reminding everyone “The Great Barrington Bagel Company, where Marvin never remembers your name.” We wish Bob and Karen muchdeserved continued success. Mazel tov!

Open the same days and hours, serving the same wonderful food, doing catering platters, not much will change. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

This September, Wild Oats Market and Pine Cobble School in Williamstown together launched an innovative school lunch program, with the goal of making healthy, kid-friendly meals available to all grades, K–9, four days a week. Students dine in mixed-age groups at assigned tables, with faculty members at each table. This aids their social and emotional development, ensuring that everyone in the community gets to know one another.

In addition to a fresh fruit and veggie bar that changes daily, lunches consist of simple but healthy fare like turkey curry wraps, tuna sandwiches and vegetable soup. Every Tuesday is “Taco Tuesday.” “Our menus are relatively easy to plan and prepare, but score high on taste and nutritional value,” says Wild Oats Executive Chef Greg Roach. “We’re learning what the kids like and tweaking the menus based on their feedback, while keeping it nutritious.

“Feeding the Pine Cobble community has several benefits,” says Chef Greg. “It helps educate the kids about what a simple and healthy meal can look like, and it further connects the co-op, and all that we do, with the community.

Farm & Home, a new shop, is officially open. Not only can you buy American-made goods for your home and farm, you can actually buy a farm or home as well: The shop doubles as the in-town office of Brockman Real Estate as well.

No high tech seen here; all American-made, like this waxed canvas reusable lunch bag, with a pocket to include a handwritten note, reminding your loved one how much you care!

Farm & Home: 276 Main St., G.B.; 413-528-9100

For the past four years Alta, in Lenox has offered a wonderful way to stay warm and well fed in the cold winter. They call it Wine Dinners. Their Mediterranean cuisine kitchen prepares a fivecourse dinner with five paired wines—and a wine speaker, for good measure, $55 per person. They will give you a heads up via email as they get close. Winter schedule: 12/3, 1/28, 2/25, 3/25. Sign up at AltaWineBar.com

A la votre,cheers!

Alta Restaurant and Wine Bar:34 Church St., Lenox; 413-637-0003

Do you ever dream that you are a chef in your own restaurant? The fame, the fortune, the rock star status!

Well, here’s your chance to find out what it might be like. Chef and owner Michael Ballon of Castle Street Café, author of The Castle Street Café Cookbook,has written a second book titled A Chef ’s Life. He describes what it has been like to be a chef in the Berkshires for 25 years. He writes about what he’s learned—about food, the farm-to-table revolution, his customers and people who make the Berkshires their home.

Oh, and he throws in some tasty recipes as well. Signed copies are available at Castle Street Café. Mention Edible Berkshires buy one of each, or two of A Chef ’s Life, for $40.

Wild Oats practices what it preaches. They have partnered with a supplier, organic farmer Lisa MacDougall of Mighty Food Farm in Pownal, VT. Wild Oats provided funding, in a loan program, that has enabled the construction of a 2,880-square-foot hoop house (greenhouse). For the next three winters, this hoop house will be dedicated exclusively to sup- plying Wild Oats with winter kale. The pro- duction will enable the co-op to offer fresh, local kale to members and customers from December through the end of February, when local kale in the Northeast does not exist. If the project proves successful, the co-op may consider working with other local suppliers in a similar way.

Christmas in December, how about for 30 days? Each day the Berkshire Co-op Market will be giving away a gift certificate good to use in a Great Barrington business. Once a day, they will randomly select an individual, at random times, in the co-op, to receive the gift certificate. Good luck to all.

Berkshire Co-op Market: 42 Bridge St., G.B.; 413-528-9697

Manger! Boire! Eat! Drink! Chez Nous, Lee, Thursdays, all winter. Each week chefs choose a theme, ingredients, a region or country, a technique or style of cooking and the dishes to fit. They pair a couple of wines with the food, present the wines briefly with background and tasting notes, a sheet with recipes for the night and do a short cooking demonstration in the dining room for the guests. Pre fixe $35 includes food, wines, cooking demo, recipes, foodie conversation. Thursdays, one sitting 6:30pm. Reservations required. Bon appétit!

Chez Nous: 150 Main St., Lee; 413-243-6397

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Edible Berkshires is a local, independently owned publication dedicated to covering the unique culinary culture of Western Massachusetts.

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Welcome to Edible Berkshires - a local, independently owned magazine dedicated to covering the unique culinary culture of the Berkshires region. We report on the growers, artisans, vintners, purveyors and taste makers who play a role in our culinary scene.